Deviants - Disposable (1968 British Psychedelia)

Originally known as The Social Deviants (line-up 'A') this was a London-based community underground band that grew up in the Notting Hill area. Farren and Russell ran into a 21 year old millionaire who put up £700 to finance their first album on their own Underground Impressarios label. This was distributed by mail order through 'Oz' and 'The International Times' and sold sufficiently well for Decca to reissue it.

The material on their three albums was variable. The first included harsh punk (I'm Coming Home), percussion dominated progressivism (Nothing Man) as well as long gimmicky diatribes interspersed with none too imaginative music. Child Of The Sky and Bun were evidence of a softer side, but Deviation Street summarized their intent with a series of political slogans, sound effects and a variety of musical approaches which have not stood the test of time well.

Disposable had its moments, notably with good rock songs like Slum Lord, Jamie's Song, You've Got To Hold On, Fire In The City and Guaranteed. The remainder of the album was eminently disposable, however.

The Deviants also issued a single, which is now a rare collectors' item. After a disappointing third album the band disintegrated during an American tour. The remaining members plus Twink formed Pink Fairies. Rudolph also had a spell with Hawkwind.

In 1977 Farren reformed the band with a new line-up including Andy Colquhoun on bass/vcls and issued an EP for Stiff, entitled Stiff EP. In the same year their first album was reissued on Logo. Readers may also be interested in Human Garbage (Psycho 25), another 1984 reunion album, with a line-up of Farren (vcls), Sanderson (bs), Larry Wallis (gtr), Wayne Kramer (gtr) ex-MC5, and George Butler (drms). Recapturing the band's original sound and spirit quite well, it includes a re-work of Ramblin' Rose, Wallis' Police Car and Zappa's Trouble Coming Every Day.


Mick Farren started out with The Social Deviants, then truncating their name to simply The Deviants in 1967. At that time the band also consisted of Cord Rees (bass), Sid Bishop (guitar) and Russell Hunter (drums). Ptooff! was their debut album.

Rees was forced out, to be replaced by Farren's flat-mate, Duncan Sanderson. A second album, Disposable, was released.

Bishop left and Paul Rudolph joined from Vancouver (on the recomendation of Jamie Mandelkau). A third album, simply entitled The Deviants was released in 1969.

Long overdue first time re-issue of the Deviants hard to find second and possibly best album. Drugged out madness and revolutionary political rants that later would evolve into The Pink Fairies. No psych collection should be without it......

01. Somewhere to go
02. Sparrows and wires
03. Jamie's song
04. You've got to hold on
05. Fire in the city
06. Let's loot the supermarket
07. Pappa oo mao mao
08. Slum lord
09. Blind Joe McTurk's last session
10. Normality jam
11. Guaranteed to bleed
12. Sidney B Goode
13. Last man

Post by CGR